Comets' Hulak honors mother, friend

Thursday

Dec 1, 2016 at 9:29 PM

Ben Birnell

UTICA — Each time Derek Hulak steps on the ice, there are two people never far from his mind.

The recognition of both can be spotted on the 27-year-old Utica Comets forward’s hockey stick and jersey. They are ways in which he gains perspective and honors his mother, Alina Hulak, and friend, Cody Smuk, who both passed away after battles with cancer.

As a tribute to his mother, Hulak writes the initials, “A.H.” on the white tape that covers the top portion of his black-and-green CCM stick. It is a routine he started as a teenager in 2005, when his mother was first diagnosed with an aggressive carcinoid tumor in the lining of her stomach. A glance down at the initials on his stick helped him.

“Whatever I was going through, whether it was in a game or in a practice, one quick look at the initials (reminds me) what my mom was kind of going through,” said Hulak, whose mother died in 2007. “It was just that perspective to know that I could dig a little deeper and get through whatever I am going through. Because what I’m going through is nothing compared to what she went through. It kind of started as a little bit of perspective, but now it’s also a good memory. When she passed, I decided to kind of honor her by continuing to do that.”

Hulak honors Smuk by wearing No. 24. The pair grew up on the same street in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, bonding over hockey. Hulak and Smuk played together for years, including from 2010 to 2014 at the University of Saskatchewan. After a year-long battle, Smuk died in the summer of 2015.

“To see what he ... went through and in our graduating semester (was tough),” Hulak said. “He was such an amazing, tremendous person. That’s why I wear No. 24. It is in memory of him. It kind of just puts things into perspective for you.”

The Comets will have a similar message when Utica has its “Pink in the Rink” event Saturday in the second game of a home-and-home series against the Albany Devils at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Fans are encouraged to wear pink for the game, which is set for 7 p.m.

The Comets will wear pink-themed jerseys with each being sold through a raffle during the game. The team will be selling raffle tickets — 3,875 will be available — at locations around the Aud for $20. Proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the Mohawk Valley Health System’s Breast Care Center. The team also plans to honor survivors and others battling the disease during pre-game events.

Hulak said the event is a good way to spread the need for cancer research funding. The Comets have staged “Pink the Rink” games in recent seasons. Similar events take place around the American Hockey League.

“Cancer is something that has affected everyone in one way or another, whether it is a friend or family member. Unfortunately for myself, it’s been around in my life for quite awhile,” said Hulak, who joined the Comets this summer after playing two seasons for the Texas Stars. “Nights like this, for me, are another way to keep my mom and Cody’s memory alive.”

Hulak said Alina Hulak was a true hockey mom, making sure he was where he needed to be for practices and games. That continued as she fought cancer.

“The big thing for me is that I was still young and she was sick, you could see that she really put us first,” said Hulak, who also mentioned his dad helped, too. “It didn’t matter if she had just finished a round of chemo or what she was going through. It was kind of amazing to see how she did that.”

Hulak made the jump to juniors, starting the 2006-07 season with the Regina Pat in the Western Hockey League. He said he would drive about 2½ hours to Saskatoon to see his mother whenever he had the opportunity after she was diagnosed. In January 2007, Regina and its rival, the Saskatoon Blades, completed a trade so Hulak could be closer to his mother.

He was thankful for the time he got to spend with his mother, who died two months later.

“(Hockey) was kind of an escape for both of us in a way,” Hulak said. “That’s one thing I’ll always remember: Whenever I would come to the hospital after a game or the next day after a game ... just kind of seeing that smile on her face and how excited she was for what was going on in my life was pretty special. It’s something I’ll always remember.”

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